Administrative Rules

Value Statement

The Austin Community College District values the contributions of adjunct faculty, and intends to make the best use of individual adjuncts in light of the skills revealed by evaluation and supervisory observation.  To facilitate this process, the College has established clearly stated principles to guide the process of scheduling adjunct faculty.  

Administrative Rule 

Staffing of Adjunct Faculty is the process by which specific sections are assigned to members of the Adjunct Faculty for teaching.  Department Chairs have the responsibility to make such assignments only to members of the Adjunct Faculty who are on the appropriate eligibility list and only in accord with the rules of staffing below.

All staffing shall be completed through the use of the eStaffing system except as exempted by approval of the Vice President upon the recommendation of the eStaffing Committee.  All staffing, whether by eStaffing or otherwise, shall be completed in accord with the rules below. (Note: Department Chairs are exempt from these rules and procedures only when complying with the staffing needs of Early College Start classes.  Deans are responsible for monitoring departmental compliance with the requirement that early college start staffing, nonetheless, be fair.)       

Prior to soliciting Adjunct Faculty teaching preferences in a given term, Department Chairs and Deans must verify the accuracy of all Eligibility Lists and confirm the priority status of all Adjunct Faculty on the lists.  The types of priority status for staffing (MSTA, IA, CA, HPTH, and Senior) are discussed in section 2 below.

1.   Staffing

1.1 Staffing Responsibilities

Staffing of Adjunct Faculty to teach sections is the responsibility of the Department Chair who shall:

• Staff members of the Adjunct Faculty in a fair and consistent manner
• Consider the preferences of members of the Adjunct Faculty as noted in the eStaffing system (e.g. preferred sections, time, locations, etc.)
• Ensure that Adjunct Faculty will be staffed to the appropriate workload prior to the staffing of any Adjunct Faculty of lower priority
• Consider whether sections are marginal or have substantial chance of cancellation when staffing MSTAs, IAs, and CAs

1.2 Priority Order for Staffing

Adjunct Faculty shall be staffed in the following order:

Phase I

• Multiple Semester Term Appointment (MSTA)-Exception
• Multiple Semester Term Appointment (MSTA)
• Instructional Associate (IA)/College Associate (CA) (Senior)
• Instructional Associate (IA)/College Associate (CA)
• Highest Priority To Hire (HPTH) (Senior)
• Highest Priority To Hire (HPTH)

Phase II

• All other Adjunct Faculty on the Eligibility List for that course

1.3 Staffing Limitations 

• Prior to soliciting teaching preferences from Adjunct Faculty in Phase I, the sections assigned to Full-Time Faculty in accord with their workload limits shall be removed from the set of available sections.  Prior to soliciting teaching preferences from Adjunct Faculty in Phase II, the sections assigned during Phase I staffing shall be removed from the set of available sections.
• All Adjunct Faculty assignments, regardless of ranking, are contingent upon availability of sections.  There is no guarantee of any particular section, time slot, or location for any Adjunct Faculty regardless of priority status on the eligibility list.
• Teaching assignments are subject to the applicable workload limitations noted in Administrative Rule 4.06.013, “Adjunct Faculty Load Limits.”  Adjunct Faculty should not be scheduled above the established load limits without written exception approval by the appropriate Instructional Vice President.  When course cancellation results in a Full Time Faculty member being assigned less than their required LEH, the Department Chair may reassign sections from adjunct faculty to enable a Full Time Faculty member to meet LEH requirements.  Reassignments may also occur to guarantee an overload section for Full Time faculty when classes are available.  Reassignments may not occur to guarantee a second overload for Full Time Faculty.

• Whenever a course cancellation or reassignment to a Full Time Faculty member results in MSTA, IA, or CA failure to meet their workload, the Department Chair will consult with the affected person holding MSTA, IA, or CA priority status to afford the opportunity to select a replacement course first from any unstaffed courses or to assume a course previously assigned to a member of the adjunct faculty with a lower staffing priority status.

2.   Definition of Eligibility List Status

2.1 Multiple Semester Term Appointment

A Multiple Semester Term Appointment (MSTA) is an appointment held by selected Adjunct Faculty that allows for priority status in the assignment of sections over multiple semesters.  It is accepted operational standard of the College, as presented in Board Policy D-6 [4 b], to “make extensive use of multiple-semester appointments for adjunct faculty.”

Types of MSTAs

• MSTA (Exception): allows Adjunct Faculty who have, in a single semester prior to summer, 1999, taught at the maximum workload permitted under Board Policy D-3(c), to teach up to that workload for the duration of the appointment.
• MSTA: allows Adjunct Faculty to teach up to 5 courses per academic year for the duration of the appointment, in accord with Administrative Rule 4.06.013, “Adjunct Faculty Load Limits.”   

Eligibility Standards 

To be eligible for an MSTA, a member of the Adjunct Faculty must have: 

• Received summary teaching evaluations, when last evaluated, of very good or excellent in all categories and have received acceptable evaluations with respect to compliance with administrative procedures.
• Received HPTH status on at least one course eligibility list.

Appointment Procedures 

• All MSTA appointments will be made by Department Chairs with approval of their Dean.
• The number of MSTA appointments shall be determined by Department Chairs in consultation with their Deans based on the size of department, complexity of scheduling, and available courses.
• All MSTAs will be granted in the spring semester for the coming year.  Appointments will follow the completion of the faculty evaluation process.
• MSTAs are renewable one-year appointments.  A member of the Adjunct Faculty who has held an MSTA for three consecutive years shall receive a three-year appointment that shall be renewed each year that he or she meets the eligibility standards.

2.2 Instructional Associate

Instructional Associate (IA) is a college professional/technical position that is associated with a department and that is held by a member of the Adjunct Faculty.  

Eligibility Standards 

To be eligible for an IA, a member of the Adjunct Faculty must: 

• Have, in a single semester prior to Summer, 1999, taught at the maximum workload permitted under Board Policy D-3(c).
• Currently hold HPTH status on at least one course eligibility list
• Receive very good or excellent evaluations for both the teaching and non-teaching portions of the appointment.

Appointment Procedures  

• All IA appointments will be made by the appropriate Vice President, with approval of the President.
• All IA appointments will be granted in the spring semester for the coming year.  Appointments will follow the completion of the faculty evaluation process.
• IAs are automatically renewable one-year appointments.  
• IAs not meeting the eligibility standard for two consecutive years will not be renewed.

2.3 College Associate

College Associate (CA) is a college professional/technical position that is associated with a support area of the college and that is held by a member of the Adjunct Faculty.  

Eligibility Standards 

To be eligible for a CA, a member of the Adjunct Faculty must: 

• Have, in a single semester prior to Summer, 1999, taught at the maximum workload permitted under Board Policy D-3(c).
• Currently hold HPTH status on at least one course eligibility list
• Receive very good or excellent evaluations for both the teaching and non-teaching portions of the appointment.

Appointment Procedures 

• All CA appointments will be made by the appropriate Vice President, with approval of the President.
• All CA appointments will be granted in the spring semester for the coming year.  Appointments will follow the completion of the faculty evaluation process.
• CAs are automatically renewable one-year appointments.  
• CAs not meeting the eligibility standard for two consecutive years will not be renewed.

2.4 Senior Adjunct Faculty

The designation Senior Adjunct Faculty applies to members of the Adjunct Faculty who have taught at least 10 semesters at ACC not counting more than two semesters from any one year.

2.5 Employed Industry Specialist

A Department Chair, with the approval of the appropriate Dean, may designate a member of the Adjunct Faculty as an Employed Industry Specialist if the person so designated

• Receives his or her primary income and benefits come from an organization or source other than ACC, or is retired with benefits, and
• Has knowledge of special technical skills required for successful employment in a particular industry or business.

To receive or retain this designation, the member of the Adjunct Faculty must submit evidence yearly of employment and benefits or retirement with benefits.

3.   Review of Staffing

Any member of the Adjunct Faculty who believes that this Administrative Rule has not been properly implemented may request a Procedural Review in accord with Administrative Rule 4.06.005, “Review of Use of Adjunct Faculty.”